Various garments have been suggested which involved elastic elements to provide a resistance to an activity which would require the swinging or bending of the arms and/or legs and/or body. Generally, such elastic elements are elastic cords or bands which are separate from the remainder of the garment, but otherwise are attached to the garment or the elastic elements are in the form of elastic panels which are integral with the remainder of the garment.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,700,231 and 5,824,959 disclose in FIGS. 7-9 of each patent an embodiment where an elongated elastic element or cord is sewn directly into the fabric. The cord can thereby provide more tension and give the garment greater resistance. The cord can be attached to the outside of the fabric on the fabric or can be sewn in the fabric. The cord can be sewn throughout the whole suit or can be located in specific locations that the user wants to create greater resistance, such as in the chest, or the legs, or shoulders, or back, etc. Both patents illustrate a woven fabric strand woven around the elastic cord thereby forming a suit having a greater elasticity in the regions where the elastic cords are placed. The patents point out that it is possible instead of having an elastic cord that a material of different material intensity can be sewn into the suit which is by a continuous weave/variable density strips. Both patents also illustrate an upper portion of an exercise garment having panels which can be inserted on the garment, or can be sewn into the garment. The panels can provide greater resistance by being more elastic. The panels can have an elastic cord woven into the fabric. In addition, the panels can be continuous woven/variable density strips.
Parent application Ser. No. 09/151,840 filed Sep. 11, 1998, discloses energy expenditure or exercise garments which have different zones of elastic resistance. That application also discloses the incorporation of a lattice type structure in the garment so that when there is a longitudinal pulling of the garment during an exercise the longitudinal pulling creates an increased compression effect to tighten the ring formed by the lattice structure, similar to finger cots where a pulling causes the material to tighten.